The present invention is directed to a laminated belt for use in a device which delivers free flowing material into receiving spaces separating filter plugs, as the plugs move on a conveyor (in the tobacco art, such a conveyor is called a garniture tape).
Several devices in the prior art which insert free flowing material between filter plugs utilize belts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,678 includes a belt. This belt travels around a plurality of wheels. During a portion of this travel, the belt moves parallel with and above the garniture tape. The garniture tape carries a row of axially aligned filter plugs separated by receiving spaces so that the filter plugs travel between the garniture tape and the belt. The belt includes apertures registered with the receiving spaces separating the filter plugs. These apertures direct the free flowing material into the receiving spaces. The blank portions of the belt screen the filter plugs from exposure to the free flowing material.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,324 includes a belt which travels over a row of filter plugs transported on a garniture tape (called a travelling folding tape in that patent). Granular material is deposited through apertures in this belt into the spaces between the plugs. The apertures in the belt are timed to register with the receiving spaces between the filter plugs.
These belts in the prior art help screen the filter plugs from exposure to the free flowing material. However, these belts do not hold the filter plugs in a stable position on the rapidly moving garniture tape. Positioning the filter plug between the garniture tape and the laminated belt would help to maintain the spaced positioning of the filter plugs as the garniture tape transports them at very high speeds.
It would be desirable to replace these belts in the prior art with a metal belt laminated with a composition strap. Such a strap, shaped to conform to the shape of the filter plug, would help to securely position the filter plug against the garniture tape at high speeds. Such secure positioning would help insure the accurate registry of the apertures in the belt with the receiving spaces between the plugs. The overall advantage of such a strap would be to allow the delivery devices to operate at speeds beyond those attainable with belts presently used.